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Discourse Theory on the Logics of Articulation, Politics and Subjectivity

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Articulations of Self and Politics in Activist Discourse

Part of the book series: Postdisciplinary Studies in Discourse ((PSDS))

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Abstract

This chapter introduces a poststructuralist notion of articulation. Poststructuralist discourse theorists think of articulation as a process that constitutes (the meaning of) subjectivity, politics and society itself. This chapter introduces concepts such as logic, equivalence, difference, fantasy and power and the subject. It draws on Foucault, Laclau and Mouffe and builds upon the more recent work of Glynos and Howarth who emphasise the importance of taking contextualised self-interpretations into account when explaining social and political phenomena. Zienkowski argues that discourse theory has everything to gain with a deeper understanding of the pragmatics of discourse and subjectivity. The author argues that linguistic pragmatic accounts of articulatory practice offer insights into the emergence of critical and political awareness in the face of powerful hegemonic logics and discourse.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The transcendental self is a philosophical figure that has occupied a central place in philosophy ever since Descartes wrote: “I think, therefore I am.” This self was conceptualised as a rather abstract and singular entity that functioned in a timeless and universal way, independent of “the artifices and superficialities of the social whirl” (Solomon 1988). It was transcendent because it was to be distinguished from individual particularities. The transcendental self—whether conceptualised as the Cartesian cogito or as the soul of humanity—has informed claims for radical egalitarianism and for global sensitivities, but it has also justified paternalism and self-righteousness with respect to Western superiority over non-Western ideas, practices and concepts of the self (Solomon 1988, 1–4; Holstein and Gubrium 2000, 18–20).

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  1. Institute for Culture and Society, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain

    Jan Zienkowski

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Zienkowski, J. (2017). Discourse Theory on the Logics of Articulation, Politics and Subjectivity. In: Articulations of Self and Politics in Activist Discourse. Postdisciplinary Studies in Discourse. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40703-6_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40703-6_2

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